Weekly catch up with garden & propagation

Propagation Team

This week Emily and Harry (visiting from Kew) have been indulging in a seed extravaganza. In the picture, both are working on Armeria pungens, a relative of our native sea thrift (A. maritima), but this hails from the coast of Spain, Portugal and some Mediterranean islands. From an impressive hummock of grass-like leaves arise tall stems with spherical heads of flowers, pale pink-white. Needing a warm well-drained spot, but has now survived outside with us for the last three years in our Gravel Garden.

Armeria pungens

Our asters and symphyotrichums are all coming into flower! Debs takes her cuttings from our stockbeds to produce these beautiful plants. One of Beth's favourite asters was A. pyrenaeus 'Lutetia'. These sport a loose mound of interlaced branching stems smothered to the ground with pale lilac-blue flowers, with finely-rayed petals 5cm across. Lasts for weeks in the garden, perfect to soften the outline of mixed autumn arrangements. Plus they stay mildew free, hurrah!

A. pyrenaeus 'Lutetia'

We also checked in with our eucomis leaf cuttings. It's such a great plant to propagate, unusual some might say, and like all things worth doing, they take time, but the reward is splendid. I'll make sure to uodate you when those bulblets are formed!

We've been working heavily in our multi-span polytunnel of late, preparing it for the influx of plants which will be coming inside as the colder, damper season rolls in. 'There's not much work over the winter' does not apply in our nursery setting. These plants need to be cut back and prepared to overwinter in the tunnels, where they wait to shoot again. These are the plants which make up our stock and sale plants in the spring when of course, most new cuttings and seedlings are still a way off from being ready.

One of the cuttings completed this week was Phlox caespitosa 'Zigeunerblut', a low spreading perennial with narrow foliage and startling pink-red flowers. For the rock garden, pots or front of the border. It's very sweet and one worth looking out for.

Phlox caespitosa 'Zigeunerblut'

Garden Team

We’ve been joined by diploma student Harry from Kew Gardens this week and with an extra pair of hands we’ve been able to get lots of work done. We started the week in the Gravel Garden, weeding and tidying up leaves and acorns that are starting to fall, then moved on to planting the bulbs that arrived last week. Swathes of Tulipa sylvestris were planted in the woodland, Narcissus recurvus var. poeticus was added to the Grassy Walk, and Tulipa turkestanica and Iris reticulata were planted in the Scree Garden. Planting bulbs is hard work, but so worth the effort when we get the rewarding flowers in spring next year.

The end of the week was spent in the Scree Garden, weeding beds and paths, and last but not least moving Beth’s succulent collection from its summer display into the greenhouse where it will be stored away from the frost all winter.

Cathy made the team an ident of 30 seedlings from the Gravel Garden. It's important for us to know which plant is what from a very tiny pair of leaves so we know whether its friend or foe and if we want to weed it out or not.

It's intern Sybille’s last week. She’s been with us since April and has been a wonderful addition to the team.